


Primeval Series 6 Episode 1 - Brave New World

by kindervelter



Category: Primeval
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Multi, Post-Series, Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:31:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4276959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindervelter/pseuds/kindervelter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the first episode of Series 6, "Brave New World", the team finds their work post-Convergence complicated by the arrival of a new team member who comes with a highly specialized skill set and some mysterious baggage.  Meanwhile, a jumbo jet disappears into an aerial anomaly, an ancient bird of prey terrorizes modern day London, and Matt must face the implications of his vision's cryptic warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction: Out of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> So yeah, I know: this show is old and not that well known, but I feel so loyal to it and someone, someone just had to get some version of Season 6 out there. It's gonna be a six episode ARC (haha), and I know that this first chapter is just some introductory stuff and doesn't tread too heavily into new territories, but it's important ground work for everything that's coming, so bare with me. I can't promise a perfect story, but much like life at the ARC, I promise it'll be a fun ride.

Primeval

Series 6, Episode 1

“Brave New World”

_“Mr. Temple, do you know why you’re here?”_

_“I imagine it’s got something to do with the entire universe almost being pulled apart by anomalies two days ago… I’ll bet you’re all pretty sore about that.”_

_“Mr. Temple, could you please state your full name for us, then today’s date.”_

_“Uh, yeah, I suppose.  My name is Connor Lee Temple, the date today is September 4, 2011.”_

_“Mr. Temple, could you tell us in detail about the events that transpired on September 2 of this year?”_

_“Yeah, I’m betting I can.  I woke up, had a hard boiled egg and drove to work.  I drank a cup of coffee with my girlfriend -- sorry, fiance now -- Abby Maitland, and I --”_

_“Mr. Temple, need I remind you that this is a federal investigation and that this video will be going into an official government report?  If you and the ARC want to keep your funding and avoid jail time I suggest you cut the jokes and stick to the facts.”_

_“Right mate, sorry.  I was only trying to lighten the mood a little.”_

_“Noted.  Please continue.”_

_“Right then.  On the day of September 2 the field team and I were called in to investigate an incursion in the center of town -- A T-Rex had come through an anomaly and was wreaking havoc and causing general mayhem.  Several of our team members were sent to the site to contain the creature while I went to New Dawn to try and shut down Philip Burton’s anomaly device.”_

_“Which you helped to create?”_

_“Yes, which I helped to create.”_

With the flick of a button the video froze on a still of Connor’s face.  A moment later the tape was jerked out of the player by a gruff hand and tossed across the room, a second tape entering the slot a moment later.  The screen buzzed to life with the face of a less-than-amused looking blonde woman.

_“Please state your name for the official record.”_

_“Abigail Bernice Maitland.”_

_“Please explain, in detail, what transpired on the day of September 2, 2011.”_

_“Two days ago an event known as Convergence took place -- millions of anomalies opening around the world simultaneously.”_

_“Please explain, for the official record, what an anomaly is?”_

_“An anomaly is a rift in time, a junction where two periods of history of meet.  Creatures can travel through the anomalies to our time, and vice versa.  On the day of Convergence we were called into the ARC -- the Anomaly Research Center -- and sent to investigate a creature incursion.  Hilary Becker and I were called away to deal with another anomaly, after which I went to help my fiance, Connor Temple, break into New Dawn to stop Philip Burton’s anomaly device.”_

_“Were you successful?”_

_“I… I don’t know.”_

The tape flew out of the slot again and was pitched to the corner containing Connor’s video testimony.  A third tape was roughly shaken out of its jacket and pushed into the machine.

_“Please state your name for the official record?”_

_“Is that strictly necessary?”_

_“Captain Becker, you of all people should know how important protocol is -- especially at a time like this.”_

_“Fine.  Captain Hilary Ernest Becker.  It’s been two days since the event known as Convergence took place, killing three hundred and fourteen people around the globe.  I assume that’s what we’re here to talk about.”_

_“Mr. Becker, could you tell us what occurred on the day of September 2, 2011?”_

_“Yes, it’s what I just told you.  Millions of anomalies opened around the globe.  I was sent to deal with a T-Rex in the center of town, though I was quickly called away to handle several other incursions.”_

_“Who called you away on these incursions?”_

_“Jessica Parker, the ARC’s head field coordinator.  She tracked the anomalies during Convergence.”_

_“And in your opinion, do you feel she did her job adequately?”_

_“What the hell are you talking about?  Is this for your ‘records’ or is this a witch hunt?”_

_“I assure you, Mr. Becker, no one is trying to assign any blame.  We simply need to investigate every angle of this case.  Now please tell us if you, as one of your team’s longest standing and most distinguished members, feel that at any point Jessica Parker -- or anyone on your team -- took any missteps that might have lead to more casualties than was necessary?”_

_“I’m out of here.  If you want to talk about what happened during Convergence then fine, but I won’t sit here and tell you which one of my teammates you should throw into a prison.  This wasn’t anyone at the ARC’s fault.  If you’re looking for someone to blame I’d start with Philip Burton.”_

Becker stormed off screen.  Another tape out, another tape in.

_“Please state your name for the official record.”_

_“Emily Rose Merchant.”_

_“Miss Merchant, can you describe for us in detail what transpired on the day of ‘Convergence’?”_

_“Matt Anderson and I were called into the ARC because of an incursion in the center of town -- a rampaging T-Rex.  Our team quickly became scattered as it became apparent that more gateways were opening.  Eventually we regrouped at the New Dawn facility, where Philip Burton was attempting to create his own, man-made gateway.”_

_“Miss Merchant, while the rest of your team so far has referred to them as anomalies, you have been calling them gateways.  Why is that?”_

_"I... I simply know them by a different name.”_

_“Miss Merchant, can you tell us exactly what happened at New Dawn?”_

_“Yes.  Matt and I arrived first, with Abby Maitland and Connor Temple arriving a few moments later.  Abby and I stood guard while Matt and Connor went to stop Philip.”_

_“Did they succeed?”_

_“No.  Not initially.  Philip Burton was able to open his anomaly and Connor was taken through it.  Abby and Matt went after him while I stayed behind to fend off the guards.  I was eventually captured, though I escaped in time to make it out of the facility.”_

_“Miss Merchant, describe what happened later on that same day.”_

_“Connor had a smaller version of the anomaly in his laboratory at the ARC, which Matt drove into the larger anomaly in an attempt to close it.”_

_“Was he successful?”_

_“I believe so.”_

_“Miss Merchant, everyone we’ve interviewed so far has said that Matt Anderson is closer to you than he is to anyone else at the ARC.  Is this true?”_

_“I don’t think I’d be the best one to say.”_

_“Miss Merchant, in your personal opinion, was Matt Anderson affected by the events of Convergence?”_

_“I… I honestly don’t know.”_  

Another few button pushes and this tape was exchanged for a fifth one.  The image of Jessica Parker appeared on the screen.

_“Miss Parker, what was your role on the day of September 2, 2011?”_

_“As Field Team Coordinator I was tasked with tracking the anomalies and assigning teams to deal with the incursions.”_

_“Would it be fair to say you were under a great deal more stress that day than any other?”_

_“I’d say so.  The world was quite literally coming to an end around me.  I feel like that entitles me to a little bit of stress.  But if you’re asking if I was unable to perform my job carefully…”_

_“Not at all, Miss Parker.  Simply trying to establish your state of mind on the day in question.  As field coordinator, you have a special view of the active team members, is that correct?”_

_“Yes, I suppose so.  Though on that day I wasn’t too concerned with the psychological analysis of the ARC’s employees.”_

_“Understandable.  Now Miss Parker, as coordinator, do you feel that, at any point, the personal feelings of any team members impeded the ability of the team to do its job to the best of their abilities?”_

_“God, no.  Look, this team works well because the people care about each other.  Abby and Connor are engaged and Matt and Emily are… well, to be honest I’m still not clear on what they are, but they’re clearly important to each other.”_

_“And you, Miss Parker?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Do you feel that, at any point, your personal feelings for a fellow teammate might have impaired your judgement on the day in question?”_

_“Are… I don’t… Absolutely not.  I can separate feelings from my work.  I’m not even that interested in him.”_

_“Yes, Miss Parker, but all the same you do know who we’re talking about.”_  

One tape to go.

_“Please state your full name for the official record.”_

_“Matthew Taylor Anderson, field leader of the core team.”_

_“Mr. Anderson, your teammates have given us a very clear idea of what happened on the day of September 2.  What we’d like to hear is your perspective on the events following your initial return to the ARC.”_

_“Initially?  We arrived back at the ARC and found Jessica Parker and James Lester under attack from future predators who had come through Connor Temple’s man made anomaly.  Lester was in critical condition.  Abby Maitland found a way to stop the predators, and after the threat was dealt with we returned to the New Dawn facility with Connor’s anomaly.”_

_“Yes.  Your teammates, with the exception of one, told us that you leapt into the car and began driving without consulting the rest of the team.  Why did you only tell Miss Merchant your plan?”_

_“I knew Emily was the only one who wouldn’t try to stop me.”_

_“Perhaps.  The question remains, however, is why you did it?  Why not rig the truck to go by itself?”_

_“Too risky.  It had to be me.  I had to see it through to the end.”_

_“Yes… could you tell us what happened after you drove the truck into the anomaly?”_

_“In all honesty, I don’t remember.  One moment I was driving, the next I was walking out of a dust cloud and the anomaly was closed.  The team and I returned to the ARC and were sent out to deal with another incursion.”_

_“And nothing else strange happened?  No odd occurrences?”_

_“No.”_

_“Mr. Anderson, I would like to remind you at this time that it is illegal for you to lie on an official government report.”_

_“Nothing happened.  Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary since that day.”_

The screen lit up at the corners and the light folded into the center, the image dying away with a small crackling sound.  The man seated across the room tossed the remote cavalierly onto the couch beside him and pulled out his mobile phone.

“Yeah, it’s Hunt.  I just watched ‘em.  You sure about this?”  Chatter on the other end of the line lasted for a few moments before he spoke again.  “If you’re sure.  I’ve got my meeting with this guy, Lester, in an hour.  He’s introducing me to the team.”  More talking, more orders being barked over the line.  “Yes, I know the mission.  Believe me, I can deal with these people.  They won’t know what hit them.”  Hunt pressed the button to end the call and shoved his phone back in his pocket, allowing himself one tiny smile.  Honestly, sometimes his job was way too easy.

 


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!   
> So I actually don't know if anybody's reading this story, but since it's all been written anyway I figured I might as well keep posting it and see what happens. If you're out there reading, let me know!

****

Ryan Hunt had been to the Anomaly Research Center twice in his life.  The first had been September 5, three days after Convergence, when he’d been invited to apply for an opening within the mysterious government project; the second had been when he’d come in for the official interview with James Lester, head of the ARC; today, his first day on the job, would mark the third time.

Hunt parked his sleek, black Mercedez in the car park beneath the complex and fished the ID badge he’d been issued out of his pocket.  He clipped it to the pocket of his blazer, fidgeting with it in the mirror until it was perfectly symmetrical.  Normally he wouldn’t have been so preoccupied with his looks, but you know what they say -- you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Satisfied that he looked presentable enough to meet the team, Hunt cut the ignition and climbed out of his vehicle, locking it behind him with the remote control on his key ring.  He gingerly waved to a young brown haired woman wearing incredibly impractical heels that he recognized from the videos as Jessica Parker.  She waved back excitedly, more like a schoolgirl than a professional who dealt with dinosaurs on a daily basis.  Hunt supposed, in a way, he should admire her for that -- he imagined it was hard to maintain one’s innocence at a job like that.

He purposefully adjusted his speed so as not to arrive at the gate at the same time as her, letting her get buzzed in first.  After a beat he followed suit, flashing his badge to the guard who pressed a small button at his desk and let Hunt through.  He mused, as he walked down the hallway that lead to James Lester’s office, that everything seemed much more uptight and secure since Convergence; a month ago there’d been no guard outside, no ID badges.  It was a classic case of trading freedom for security.

“Ah Mr. Hunt, prompt as always.” Hunt was taken off guard by the voice of slightly surly government employee James Lester, who had just emerged from one of the hallways that branched off the main drag to join him.  Hunt checked his watch nervously, confirming that he was on time; Lester’s dry sense of humor could make it damn hard to tell if he was joking or not.

“I was always taught it was rude to show up late on your first day,” Hunt retorted, shifting his stance awkwardly to face Lester in the small hallway.

“Yes, quite…” the other man grumbled, turning and motioning with his fingers for Hunt to follow.  The two walked briskly as Lester continued speaking.  “I trust you made it into the ARC okay?  We’ve had to beef up security around here in light of recent… events.”  Hunt read between the lines, assuming that when he said “events” he was most likely referring to the near-destruction of the universe.

“No trouble at all.  In fact, I think I might have met one of your team’s members on the way in.  Friendly girl, brunette?”  

“Ah yes, that would be Miss Jessica Parker.  The only other brunette on our core team is decidedly not the friendly type.”  Hunt guessed that that particular jibe was directed at Emily Merchant.  Lester went on, oblivious to his newest recruit’s intimate knowledge of his team.  “In just a few moments you’ll be introduced to the Core Team -- I warn you though, they’ll hate you immediately and try to make your job as difficult as possible.”

“I spent six years dealing with predators in Africa.  I think I can handle some disgruntled government employees,” Hunt joked.  He could tell from the look on Lester’s face that this wasn’t something one joked about.

“Listen, Mr. Hunt, I don’t know what kind of jobs you’ve had in the past, but I assure you this will be like nothing you’ve ever done before.  These things are vicious, tough, and fiercely territorial -- and then there’s the creatures you’ll have to deal with as well,” Lester retorted, not missing a beat.  Before Hunt could think of a suitable reply they were in the main rotunda of the ARC, facing what he remembered from his last visit to be the HUB -- the command center of the entire facility.

Hunt sidled up to the railing next to Lester and took the moment of silence to size the place up; Jess, the girl he’d met outside and seen in one of the videos, appeared to have control over the HUB, which was situated on a platform that appeared to be sunk into the ground a few feet.  The entire place was sculpted out of stainless steel which, while functional, also made it deathly sterile and borderline depressing.  Jess’s bright patterned clothing was the only splash of color in the room, the reds, blues, and yellows of her outfit starkly contrasting with the dark hues of the rest of the environment.  Without waiting for Lester’s permission Hunt descended the staircase into the HUB, resting his hip on Jess’s desk.

“Hi,” he said, his attempts at locking eyes with her going unnoticed as she never broke contact with the computer screen.  The girl seemed to leap a little in her seat, as though she hadn’t registered he’d been sitting there before he’d spoken to her.  After a moment she regained her composure and swiveled her chair to look at him.

“Hello,” she said, obviously flustered.  She ran her hands over her skirt, something Hunt guessed was a nervous habit of hers.  Hunt smiled at this; maybe she was just as goofy and hapless as she’d seemed.

“I was hoping to have the entire team assembled before making introductions…” Lester said.  Hunt and Jess turned to face him, watching with mild amusement as the veins in his forehead pulsated, threatening to burst at any moment.  

“Sorry, James,” Hunt said.  The informality seemed to catch Lester off guard, though he quickly regained his composure.

“That’s Mr. Lester to you.” Without missing a beat Lester turned his attention to Jess.  “Miss Parker, could you tell me the whereabouts of our core team?”  Jess turned back to the array of screens in front of her, smashing a few commands into the keyboard.  A moment later video feeds from around the ARC popped up, revealing the five person group that made up the core field team sitting in the staff lounge (a perk that Lester had forgotten to mention to Hunt when he’d applied) drinking coffee.

“No anomalies so far today, sir.  It’s been pretty slow,” Jess said.

“Something tells me it’s about to speed up…” Lester said cryptically.  “Jess, would you mind coming with us to talk to the field team?  We’re about to be implementing some changes around here that you’ll want to know about.”  Hunt could tell from the girl’s open lips that she wanted to ask a question, but he also saw Lester flash her a look that seemed to tell her to keep quiet for the moment.  Without another word Jess rose and followed the two men down the hallway, around the corner, and into the staff lounge.

The one Hunt recognized from the videos as Abby was the first to notice them, cocking an eyebrow at Lester and motioning with her head towards Hunt -- towards the new guy that, apparently, Lester hadn’t told anyone about.  

“Right then everyone, gather round.  Important ARC business to discuss,” Lester said, catching the attention of the other four people in the room.  One by one they all looked at Lester, then at Jess, and then finally at Hunt -- who, despite his impulse to squirm under their gaze, maintained his aloof demeanor.

“We’re all ears, Lester.” Hunt remembered Matt from the videos, and this half serious, half joking reply was what he had expected.  An annoyed look passed over the boss’s face before he composed himself.

“Thank you, Matt.  Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Ryan Hunt,” Lester began.  

“Hi,” Hunt said, extending a hand to the whoever would take it.  The blonde he recognized from the video was the first to take it.  

“Abby Maitland.  Nice to meet you,” she said, not sounding half as fiery and fierce as she had on the video- - though Hunt had no doubt that it wouldn’t take much provocation for that side of her to emerge.  He shook hands with her, careful to take in everything he could about her.  In his experience, you could tell the most about a person by how they shook your hand; if they were angry, stressed, if they’d rely on you or betray you.  Abby Maitland’s handshake was quick and firm, the mark of someone who’s trust had to be earned.  He remembered from the videos that she’d been one of the first to join the ARC, and he guessed that years of working on something so impossible had taught her a thing or two.

Suddenly the moment was over, their hands separated, and Hunt was being introduced to someone else.  He swiveled around awkwardly, his hand soon finding its way into Matt Anderson’s.  Hunt could tell from the strong, almost painful grip that this man was the alpha male of the group; moreover, if he knew what was good for him, he’d resist trying to challenge Matt’s authority.  He guessed that would be difficult once Lester told them the job Hunt had been brought in to do…

“Emily Merchant.  Nice to meet you.”  Hunt snapped back to reality as a scarred and rough hand took his.  Hunt shook it, noticing that Emily took the moment of mutual silence to look him up and down, no doubt looking for weak spots.  If his hunch was correct, she was someone with years of solitude behind her that made her wary of human contact.  She could read people in an instant.

A moment passed and Hunt was shaking hands with Becker, noticing the easy, gentle nature of the shake.  He wouldn’t have known it from the video he’d watched, but Ryan Hunt guessed that Becker was, perhaps more than the rest of the team, secure in himself.  He knew what his role was and he liked to work within the (sometimes rigid) boundaries.

“And finally, Miss Jessica Parker,” Lester said.  Jess stirred behind him and maneuvered around her boss.

“Nice to officially meet you,” Hunt said with a small smile, taking Jess’s hand.  He sensed that he’d been right about her before.  She was an optimist at heart and loved her job, and more importantly her life, despite what she’d seen.  Now, however, holding her hand, he saw an inner strength he hadn’t before; some places where her kind facade had been cracked, though they’d healed stronger than ever.

“Well, now that we’ve all gotten to know each other…” Lester began.  Hunt suspected from the way he let his words trail off that the man knew how unpopular what he was about to say was.  “It is my duty as the Minister’s servant to inform you that Mr. Ryan Hunt will be this team’s new field leader.”  Lester shut his eyes immediately after the words were out of his mouth, trying to block out the chorus of objections that arose from the six people gathered before them.

“Lester, no!”

“We already have a field team leader.”

“This is absurd.  We’re the best team the ARC has and you want to introduce someone new?”

“What about Matt?”  It was Abby’s question that finally silenced them all.  One by one everyone gathered there, even Hunt, turned to look at Lester.  

“Matt will remain on the team, but he will no longer be in charge of decisions in the field.”

“We’re a five man team, Lester.  That’s the ARC’s policy.  You can’t just go and introduce a sixth member.  The rules don’t change just because you want them to,” Matt argued.  He was exactly as displeased with this news as Hunt had expected him to be.

“I’m aware of the rules, Matt -- believe me I’ve been trying for a month to get around them,” Lester said.  Hunt couldn’t be sure, but it appeared to him that Lester was as upset about this change as the rest of them were.  He’d expected not to receive the warmest of welcomes, but to find out your own boss doesn’t want you there…

“What do you mean?  Is someone leaving the team?”  Jess asked, obviously shocked.  Hunt was beginning to question Lester’s leadership skills; waiting until the new guy’s first day to tell everyone their team was changing seemed sloppy.

“I’m afraid yes.  The Minister took a look at our personnel files and decided, without any input from me mind you, which one of you would be leaving the Core Team,” Lester said.  His eyes wandered around the room, meeting everyone in turn.

“It’s me,” Emily said, sparing Lester the torture of having to say it himself.  Even Hunt himself hadn’t been told someone would be leaving the team, so this news came as just as much of a shock to him as it did to everyone else.  

“I’m afraid Miss Merchant is correct.  The ARC never officially hired her, so when the Minister found out she was receiving compensation for her services he demanded she be removed.”

“You can’t fire Emily, mate!  It’s not right.  She’s one of us!” Connor argued, slamming his fist on the metallic table for emphasis.

“Emily, I’m very sorry about this,” Lester said awkwardly.  “I did manage to talk the Minister into allowing you to keep your job… though you’ll be working with Team 3.”  Hunt saw, even in the dim lighting, the way that Emily’s eyes met Lester’s, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.  It was odd, Hunt thought, how people could be angry with someone and yet grateful at the same time.

Matt Anderson, on the other hand, was decidedly only the former.  “Lester, this is ridiculous.  Emily’s better than everyone on Team 3.  Moving her will do more harm than good,” Matt shouted.  By all accounts, he did have lots to be angry about: he’d been demoted and his girlfriend had been pseudo-fired.

“That may be, Matt, but they were the only team that had an… opening.”  Hunt guessed, given the team’s reports on Convergence, that this particular opening was about six feet deep and shaped like a coffin.

“Matt, it’s ok,” Emily said, placing a hand on his arm.  Her touch seemed to calm him and he became silent.  

“I know this is all a lot for you to take in, so I’ll give you some time to process.  Jess, can you--”  The anomaly alert cut through Lester’s kind intentions, leaving the team scrambling towards the HUB.  

Jess slid into her seat, breathless from the run back, and read what was flashing on the screen.  “Anomaly alert, four miles from here.  Or, maybe it’s five.  The readings are going in and out…” Jess said, clearly unsure of what was going on.  Connor leaned in next to her and clicked a few buttons, the display on the screen changing from 2-D to 3-D.

“It’s not four miles out it’s… four miles up,” Connor said, a note of giddy excitement creeping into his voice.  Hunt couldn’t help but smirk at this.  “It’s an aerial anomaly.”

“Figures…” Lester said, massaging his temples.  “Right then, I didn’t want to make you do this today, but it looks like you’ll be learning on the job, Mr. Hunt.”  

“That’s the way I like it,” Hunt said.  Even this brief comment earned him glares from Matt, Abby, and Becker.  

“Jess, call the Air Force and have them send someone with a helicopter to take us up there,” Matt instructed.  Instead of typing, however, Jess just awkwardly looked between him, Hunt, and Lester.

“Actually, Matt, that’s no longer your call to make.  Mr. Hunt?”  Lester asked, motioning with his hand for the new team leader to begin giving orders.

“What he said,” Hunt instructed.  Then, thinking better of it, added: “Actually, Jess, call the airport.  The nearest Air Force base is miles from here.  We’ll get a chopper much quicker if we commandeer one from Heathrow.”  

“Good call,” Jess said, the words slipping out without her having any control over them.  Hunt observed how the rest of the team shot her dirty looks.  “Sorry,” she muttered, typing a few more commands in.  

“Right then,” Hunt said, trying to break the tension.  “Everyone get comms and let’s be off before anything gets an idea to come through that anomaly.”  

“Wait!”  The team stopped in their tracks and faced Jess, who’d gone pale in the glow of the computer screens.  “A report just came in from Heathrow that one of their planes has gone missing and broken communication.”

“Let me guess: the flight plan took them straight through the anomaly?” Connor asked, burying his head in his hands.  Jess just nodded.

“You’d think after six years this would get easier,” Connor said, sharing a glance with Abby.

“Yeah,” she said, shaking her head.  “That’s what you’d think.”

* * *

In three years of working at the ARC, Matthew Anderson had gotten used to being the one calling the shots; to making the hard decisions, to putting the team before himself, and to doing what had to be done.  In short, he’d gotten used to authority.  What’s more, he’d never really realized just how much he liked being in charge until it was gone.

“Connor, you stay here and coordinate with Heathrow; there’s gonna be airplanes coming through this area and I need someone here to make sure no more get through that anomaly.  Abby, Becker, and Matt, you’re with me.  We’re going through the anomaly.  I trust you’re all up to date on your search and rescue techniques?”  All three assured him they were, though Matt knew for a fact that not one member of their team had been updated on search and rescue in upwards of two years.

“We can handle this,” Becker said simply, putting any doubts to rest.  If there was one thing you could count on Becker for it was being able to end a conversation.

“Good,” Hunt said.  He placed his hand to his ear so the rest of the team knew what he said next was meant for Jess.  “What’s the status on the chopper?”  Matt couldn’t hear Jess’s half of the conversation, but given the relieved look on Hunt’s face he guessed the news to be good.

“How long?” Abby asked.  “That anomaly could close any minute and we can’t leave all those people trapped.”

“God knows what that would do to history…” Becker muttered cynically.

“They’re fueled and ready.  We’re gonna meet them on the tarmac right now,” Hunt said, shouting over the growing sound of propellers slicing through the air.  Matt looked to his left towards where he judged the sound to be coming from and saw a helicopter and several people pulling things out of it and stuffing things in.  It looked old to him but, he supposed, beggars can’t afford to be choosers.

The team walked quickly down the tarmac, Connor shrinking in the distance behind him.  Matt caught Abby looking over her shoulder and quickly mouthing the word “sorry.”  As if she was the one who needed to be apologizing for any of this.  

Before Matt could get any further into a rage about Lester, the team was being introduced one by one to their pilot, an attractive young American woman named Jo Grey.  She shook Matt’s hand gingerly, flashing him a crooked smile.

“You’ll be flying this mission, then?” Matt asked.  

“You got it, mate.  Jo Grey at your service.”  Matt looked at Becker and couldn’t help but smile at his reaction to the girl; she waved her hands when she talked and had a chipper yet somehow serious tone.  She was exactly the kind of person Captain Becker didn’t like.

“Miss Grey, I don’t mean to sound skeptical of your abilities, but have you been fully briefed on what this mission entails?”  Hunt asked, stealing a glance towards the sky where an anomaly waited for them.

“Listen, Mister, I own a TV.  I saw what happened last month, all those lights appearing.  Your government can put out all the cover up stories it wants, but I had a dodo bird pecking around my kitchen for an hour.  So yeah, I think I’ve got an OK idea of what I’m getting myself into.”  Matt smiled as Hunt’s smug grin faded and Becker’s appeared.  Maybe the good Captain would turn out to like this girl after all.

“Sounds like you’ve got a good handle on the situation,” Becker said, smiling at her.  “Shall we be off?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”  Jo gave Becker a playful swat on the arm before climbing into the helicopter and gunning the engine.  A second later the propellers began to pick up speed.  

“Ready, Hunt?” Matt asked as he buckled in next to their new team leader.

“As I’ll ever be.”  With that Jo pushed her controls forward and they were off, headed into what Matt was sure would be another near-death experience.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back for Chapter 3! Fair warning: after this the update speed my flag a bit. Not a lot, it just won’t be a chapter every day as it’s been. I only started it off this way to get some momentum going. But don’t worry! I’ll still try to put chapters up as fast as possible. 
> 
> Also: keep the reviews and follows coming! I know a bunch more of you have read the story than have reviewed, which is really encouraging, but please keep letting me know what you like and what you don’t, what you think of the new characters, etc… I’m literally happy with whatever.   
> Anyways, enjoy Chapter 3! Things really start heating up here.

Primeval

“Right then, we’re gonna need to divert all planes around those coordinates,” Connor Temple said to the clearly overworked and overtired young air traffic controller seated next to him.  The slightly younger man pushed a few buttons and input the coordinates Connor gave him.  A moment later the intersecting lines on the screen in front of them seemed to go haywire.

“Computer doesn’t like that.  It can do cities, but it’s tough for it to compute such a small point in space,” the man said.  Connor thought for a few moments before responding.

“Can I see those controls for a moment..,”  Connor looked at the young man’s name tag pinned to his navy uniform. “Nate?”  Nate shrugged and stepped aside, surrendering his keyboard.  Connor cracked his knuckles and a wicked grin flashed across his face; this was his favorite part.

He smashed a few keys, his fingers flying across the board at jungle speed.  A moment later the lines disappeared from the screen, leaving Nate chewing his nails nervously beside him; he really didn’t want to be in trouble for twenty planes crashing simultaneously.

“There!” Connor shouted, startling Nate.  They both looked at the screen and the lines reappeared, all intersecting and skirting around the anomaly.  

“How’d you do that?”  Nate asked, taking the keyboard back from Connor.

“I just reordered the servicing application to dilate the smaller numbers first and collate them into the program.” Connor propped his feet up on the desk, looking smug.

“You just hit buttons until it worked, didn’t you?”  Connor smirked at this comment.

“Yup.”  Both men smiled, though there revelry was rather rudely interrupted by the sound of something large and heavy landing on top of the control tower.  Panic passed over Nate’s face and he cocked an eyebrow towards Connor as if to ask, “what the hell?”

Connor held out a hand for Nate not to speak as he got up cautiously and walked to the window opposite them.  He pressed his eyes up to the glass, the action of tilting his vision up giving him a minor headache.  He waited at the window for a few moments, just watching.  When nothing happened again he walked back towards his chair.

“Must be spooking ourselves with this whole business,” Connor said, laughing off the incident.  He sat back down next to Nate, giving him a reassuring smile.  Nate gave a nervous smile back, and Connor could tell some of his stress was dissipating… although it all came back a moment later when a set of enormous talons slashed through the roof and ripped it off.

* * *

 Jo Grey, for as tough a game as she talked, was out of her mind terrified about going through the glowing balls of light she’d seen so many times on the television over the past few weeks.  Sure, she supposed, it was one thing to have it show up in your living room… but going through it?  That was another thing entirely.

“You alright, Miss Grey?”  Jo jerked her controls when she felt someone touch her shoulder, rocking the helicopter ever so slightly.  She swiveled her head to see whose fingers were currently clasped around her and locked eyes with a brooding young man with an entirely too clean-cut look about him.  

“Yup… just trying to concentrate,” she snapped, not really intending to lash out at him.  She tried to recover with a question.  “You’re Becker, right?”  She knew it was lame, he’d already introduced himself, but she wasn’t going to let the conversation die with her being rude.

“Yes.  Captain Becker,” he corrected, wagging a finger at her and giving a half smile.  She guessed from the way he presented himself that a half smile was the most she could ever expect out of him.

“Well Captain Becker, mind telling me what it is we’re going to see on the other side of this anomaly thing?”  she asked, pushing her long brown hair out of her eyes.  

“Honestly, Miss Grey, I wish I could tell you.”

“You can just call me Jo.  And what -- you don’t know what we’re gonna see or you’re not allowed to tell me?”  

“Both, actually,” he replied cryptically.  In an odd way this sort of made her feel better. He flew into the unknown as a legitimate career; if Becker could do it day after day and still be alive she could get through it once.

“Super helpful,” she replied, deadpan.  He smirked a little at this, turning his attention to the sky in front of them.  

“You ready to go through, Miss Gr -- er, Jo?”  Becker asked awkwardly as she pushed the controls forward.

“As I’ll ever be, I guess,” she said noncommittally, not bothering to look at Becker.  She kept her eyes forward, not wanting him to see how nervous she was -- she had a habit of putting up walls with new people until she knew she could trust them.  

Becker opened his mouth to say something else, but with one deft movement she gunned the engine and the chopper jolted forward, flashing through the anomaly and shifting back through time God knows how many years.  Jo opened her eyes -- she’d unconsciously closed them when they’d gone through -- and found herself in a new world.  One moment she’d been surrounded by concrete and skyscrapers, the next she was in a prehistoric jungle.  

“Not too bad, all things considered,” Becker said, jolting Jo back to reality.  She gave him a nervous smile as she checked her mirrors and looked at the three occupants in the back.  One of the men -- she thought she remembered him being introduced as Matt -- was stone faced and solemn, while the blonde woman and the slightly younger looking man were craning their necks to the left and right trying to get a look at their surroundings.

“I’d say late Miocene, if I had to guess,” the stone faced one said after just a cursory glance out the window.  

“Wow,” the other two said in unison.  There was no way to tell how long they’d all been at the job, but something about their reactions told Jo that it never got old… even she had to admit, despite her fear, that travelling into the past in a helicopter was pretty exciting.

“Wow,” Jo echoed, taking in her surroundings.  Looking down revealed a dense jungle stretching out for miles in every directions, with just enough fresh water reservoirs scattered in between to accommodate a wide variety of animals; and, speaking of which, there were lots of animals.

“What’s out there?” the other man, Ryan Hunt if she remembered correctly, asked.  “I mean, is there any chance of the occupants’ survival?”  It was a rather dark thing to say given the wondrousness of what they were seeing, but it did clue Jo into a certain contrast she was sure these people found in their jobs; it was breathtaking, but sometimes deadly.

“Won’t know until we get down there.  Speaking of which, can you locate the plane, Miss Grey?”  Becker said, motioning with his head towards her radar system.  

“I’m picking up a large object,” she said, pointing to a pinging dot on the screen.  “But without much background on where -- or when, I guess -- we are, there’s potentially a lot of large objects out there.”  

“Great,” the dour one said, deadpan.  “I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

“Right then, I’ll take us towards it and see what we pick up,” Jo said, pushing some buttons and moving her controls forward.  

Suddenly she felt the cockpit rattle around her, her systems going haywire and the whole craft dropping through the air.  Jo pulled senselessly at her controls, seeing through the confusion another pair of hands grabbing hers and helping her pull.  Her head smashed into the seat behind her and caused her vision to blur, but she forced herself to stay conscious.

A chorus of screams echoed behind her, adding to the pain in her head.  She knew they were past the point of no return -- there was literally no chance of having the chopper stabilize again -- so she did the only thing she could think to do; she told everyone to brace themselves for impact.  It was the last thing she remembered doing before she blacked out.

* * *

 Emily Merchant was only vaguely aware of her surroundings as she wandered down one of the ARC’s numerous corridors pretending to listen to James Lester.  It was a skill she’d perfected over the years -- first with her husband, then with Ethan, and now with her boss.  She shook her head now and then as Lester spoke, no doubt trying to explain his decision to remove her from the team.

In all honesty, it wasn’t so much the fact that she’d been replaced that bothered her; after all, she owed Lester a great deal for not turning her into the authorities as an unauthorized visitor from the past.  It was just that she’d been replaced with someone new.  Someone who’d had far less experience with the creatures than her, if any.  If she was going to be replaced she damn well wanted it to be someone worthy of replacing her.

“...and so I hope you can understand why all this has been necessary,” she heard Lester said, finally cognizant of the fact that he was addressing her.  She smiled politely and nodded, earning her one of Lester’s incredulous looks that communicated more than any words could.

“I…” Lester said awkwardly, suddenly more serious.  His abrupt change in tone almost spooked Emily.  “I really am sorry about all this, Miss Merchant.  You were there through Convergence… you have as much right to be on the core team as anyone.  If I could have it any other way I would, but…”  

“Politics,” Emily finished, reading his mind.  She knew better than most the strong grip that politics held on people.  It was what had kept her subservient to her husband for so many years, what had almost caused her to stay in a time that she didn’t belong… she knew all too well the power politics wielded.  That didn’t meant she had to like it.

Lester’s sad eyes caught her attention, drawing her back to their conversation.  “I know this is all rather sudden, but Team Three has been waiting to meet you for a week now.  They’re in Staff Quarters 4,” Lester said, nodding towards the door in front of them that led to the wing of the ARC that housed the staff when they weren’t out on assignments.  “Are you comfortable meeting them now?”  Lester asked.  Emily shrugged, twisting her fingers around the handle and pushing the door open without another word.

She’d learned to be weary of doors long ago, what now felt like lifetimes.  Travelling through the gateways always brought her somewhere new and exotic, to worlds she’d never dreamed of.  Nothing ever stayed the same from place to place, save one thing: it was always dangerous.  She knew enough now to have her guard up.

Emily absorbed her surroundings quickly as she passed over the threshold, knowing she’d only have a few moments to take it in before being accosted by new people.  She knew the Staff Quarters well (she’d spent her fair share of time in them with the Core Team), so she focused her attention on the people in them.

There were four of them, sitting around a table playing cards and looking, for the most part, as if they were having fun.  Seated closest to the door was a tall, muscular one, no doubt Team Three’s leader.  Her eyes moved clockwise around the small, circular table: two more men, both younger than the first, one no doubt the team’s muscle and the other the team’s brain.  Finishing her loop, she saw a woman, probably a few years younger than Abby, fiddling nervously with her cards and twisting her orange hair.

As soon as they registered her presence all four of them were up, suddenly making the small room seem even smaller.  Lester made a point of stepping in between the group and Emily, a fact that the former Victorian was glad of; in her experience, people rushing towards her usually ended in disaster.

“Emily Merchant, I’d like to introduce you to Team Three,” Lester said.  Emily extended her hand to the man she’d first noticed, locking eyes with him.  He took her hand a shook it, a broad smile spreading across his face.

“Eric Reddington, nice to meet you,” he said, his thick American accent taking her by surprise.  

“Oh, you’re…” Emily stammered.  The nearly unshakable Victorian found herself suddenly quite shaken by this unexpected turn.

“American,” Lester said, spitting out the word.  Eric’s smile simply grew in response.  “Mr. Reddington came to the ARC as part of a cross cultural training program and never left,” Lester explained.

“Nice to meet you as well,” Emily said, her composure regained.  “I assume you’re team leader?”  

“Yup,” he said, finally releasing her hand and moving to introduce the other members of the team.  “Here we’ve got Peter Jenkins, Alex Day, and Samantha Tales,” Eric said, motioning to the other members of the team.

“Lovely to meet you,” Peter said, taking her hand and kissing it grandly.  “Animal behaviourist for Team Three.  If you’ve got a reptile problem, I’m your dude,” he said, talking more like a teenage boy than a highly specialized government employee.

“Tech specialist,” Alex said awkwardly, looking as though he’d never once talked to a girl in his life.  Sort of like Connor 2.0, she thought, watching as he fidgeted with a gadget in his hands and looked nervously between Samantha, Lester, and herself.  Finally Emily had mercy on him and shifted her attention towards the final member of the team.

“It’s great to have you,” Samantha said, brushing her fiery long hair out of her eyes and tying it back in a ponytail.  “Tactical and Combat Specialist.”  Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise at this detail, not expecting this out of the smaller woman.

All in all the team could have been a lot worse, but Emily knew it would take some getting used to.  After all, she’d spent enough time running through gateways to know that people aren’t always what they seem.

“Well, now that we’re all introduced…” Lester said, though his phone chimed then, interrupting him.  He picked it up, annoyed.

“So, Emily, what was it like working with the Big Four?” Peter asked, inviting her to take a seat around the table with them.  Lester grumbled angrily in the background as they talked.

“The Big Four?”  she asked, clearly confused.

“Yeah,” Samantha said, attempting to explain.  “Connor Temple, Abby Maitland, Captain Becker, and Matt Anderson.  They’re sort of legends around here,” she said.  Emily would never show it, but she was slightly annoyed not to be included in Team Three’s hero worship; after all, she’d been through just as much as any of those four had.

“I can’t even imagine.  Connor Temple is, like, my hero,” Alex said, running his hand nervously through his short blonde hair.  

“Guys, stop bugging the new girl with so many questions.  I’m sure she thinks of joining our team as quite a step down from working with the Core Team,” Eric said.  Emily guessed her was trying to save her from some potential embarrassment having to answer their questions, but it only served to annoy her further.  Before she could respond, however, Lester was hanging up the phone and barking orders at them.

“Incursion at the airport.  The Core Team’s gone through the anomaly and broken communication and Connor’s under attack in an air traffic control tower.  Get there before he crashes every plane in England, will you?”  Lester said.  Without a word the team was up and grabbing their gear.

“Stay close on this one.  Could get dangerous,” Eric said, throwing Emily a vest and EMD.  She slipped it into her belt deftly, now even more annoyed; to think that she didn’t want to talk was one thing, but to think that she can’t do her job as well as them was another entirely.

“I’m quite sure I’m more than capable of handling it,” she said, opting to leave it there and let them see what she could do in the field.  After all, in three years of travelling through anomalies she’d found that actions often spoke far louder than words.

* * *

The first thing Abby noticed when she regained consciousness was the smell of gasoline.  The second thing was the flaming debris dancing around right outside their crashed helicopter.

She fought the panic that was setting in, forcing herself to check her body over before jumping into action.  She shifted her weight around, checking for broken bones or sprains.  Miraculously everything was intact, though she knew from experience she’d feel like hell the next morning.  She grabbed a shard of broken glass from beside her and sliced through her seat belt, freeing herself from the metal prison.

Swiveling her head back and forth she could see Matt and Ryan passed out on either side of her.  The chopper had seemingly condensed on impact, meaning it would be far more difficult than she’d like to get out with them in the way… though the point might be moot if the wreckage exploded before she had a chance to figure her way out.

In front of her she could hear Becker and the pilot groaning, though a large sheet of metal blocked them from her view; yet another thing she’d have to deal with.  With some effort she managed to sit up, slamming her head into a metal pipe that had broken free of the ceiling.  She pushed it out of her way and gave herself some room to maneuver, though the whole thing was still a little claustrophobic.  

Nervously, she checked Hunt and Matt’s vitals.  They were both alive, at least for the moment, though given the way it was twisted she could tell Matt’s leg was almost definitely broken and his shoulder was dislocated.  That did give her an idea…

With one swift move she wrenched his shoulder up and back, slamming it back into place.  Matt woke up screaming, fighting against the seatbelt as his body registered the intense amount of trauma it had been through.  Abby fought the urge to panic as she listened to him sob in pain next to her.  

“Matt, are you alright?” she asked, already knowing the answer.  He simply sobbed louder in response.  “Look, Matt, I know you’re hurt, but you have to try to climb out of here.  There’s gasoline all over and this whole thing’s about to go up in flames.  I can get everyone else out, but you have to go now,” she urged.  His head twisted to the side, red eyes locking with hers.  He looked like hell.

“My leg…” he said.  “It’s....”  Dammit, Abby thought, he’s in shock.  That made her life about a thousand times more difficult.

“Matt, I know your leg is broken.  You’re in shock right now, but you have to go.  Just get out of the helicopter and we’ll fix it.  It’ll all be alright, but you have to get out of here,” she said, talking slowly and forcefully.  “Nod so I know you’re getting this,” she instructed. Abby knew he wouldn’t be good for much, but she needed him to do this.  He had to.

Finally he nodded, ripping at the seat belt until it came undone.  He turned, rolling through the broken glass onto his knees.  He screamed again as he felt the full pain of his broken leg being torn apart by glass shards.  Finally he threw up, the smell of both it and the gasoline making Abby nauseous.  She knew it wouldn’t be long before she lost consciousness again.

A few agonizing moments later Matt was out, Abby scrambling through the tiny opening after him.  He got to his feet, staggered a few yards away, and collapsed again.  Abby just hoped it was far enough to keep him alive when the chopper blew.  

Willing herself to keep going, Abby ran around to the other side of their defunct vehicle and cut off Ryan’s seat belt.  To her relief he had no obvious injuries, though she knew it was too soon to really tell.  For all she knew he had a broken neck and moving him might kill him; then again, not moving him would definitely kill him.  She cleared as much glass out of the way as she could and pulled him out, the layer of blood coating her hands making the task rather difficult.  She pulled him as far as she could before running back to help the others.

“Abby?”  she heard someone call.  She looked around wildly, going into defense mode before realizing it was Becker calling from inside the chopper.

“Becker?”  she yelled, kneeling down next to the craft’s windshield and clearing some mud away from it.  She could see Becker and the pilot inside, both conscious but clearly a bit worse for the wear.  “Are you two alright?”  she asked.  

“Just peachy,” the pilot said, giving a weak smile.  Abby motioned towards Becker, who gave her a solemn nod that told her something definitely wasn’t alright.

“My hand is stuck,” Becker said.  Abby could see through the blood and mud on the windshield that it was caught between the two metal seats.  She had an idea for how to get it out, though she knew he wouldn’t like it.  

“What’s your name?”  Abby asked the pilot.  She knew they’d been introduced, but she couldn’t remember now.  

“Jo.”

“Listen, Jo, is there anything hard in there?  A flashlight or a rock or something?”  Abby asked.  Jo looked around for a moment, producing a rock that had flown through one of the side windows.  It was about the size of her first, so it would have to do the job.  “Listen, Jo, I need you to break Becker’s hand.  It’s the only way to get it unstuck.”  Jo gave her a panicked look.

“What the hell?  No way.  I can’t break somebody’s hand.”  

“You have to.  If you want to get him out of there alive you have to do this.  This whole thing’s about to explode,” as she said it Abby snuck a look around the side and saw the flames creeping ever closer to the gas leak.  “I’m gonna find something to break this window with so I can get you two out.  You have to do this.”  With that Abby stood, running off into the treeline to find something that would do the job.  A moment later she heard Becker’s scream rip through the jungle.  Jo had done it.  

Abby returned with another rock and saw Becker crying and nursing his emaciated hand.  Without another word she smashed the windshield to pieces, glass raining down on the two still left inside.  Exhaustion overtook Abby as she helped Jo out, the two women pulling Becker to safety a moment later.

She collapsed against a tree trunk next to Jo, vaguely registering the sound of an explosion and an intense heat before she lost consciousness.


End file.
